Electric socket tap device



Jan 26, 1932. EK$TE|N j- AL 1,842,543

ELECTRIC SOCKET TAP DEVICE Filed Aug. 7, 1928 INVENTORS" ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 2 55, 1932 UNITED STATES iATENT OFFICE REUBEN EGKSTEIN, F BRONX, AND MAX POLIS, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK ELECTRIC SOCKET TAP DEVICE Application filed August 7, 1928. Serial No. 297,926.

This invention relates to electric tap sockets.

An objectof the invention is to provide a positively water-proof tap socket of the 8 character described, for use in connection with one or more electric lamps employed for outdoor illumination and decorative purposes, and whereby an additional line of such lamps may be connected in parallel therewith.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device of the character and for the purpose described which shall be rugged in construction, neat and compact, and yet com- 16 prise few and simple parts, be cheap of man ufacture, easy to assemble and practical and efficient to a high degree.

Other objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in part hereinafter pointed so out.

Certain features herein shown and described, are shown, described and claimed in our co pendiug application Serial No. 286,- 520, filed on the 19th day of June, 1928, and

" accordingly are not claimed herein.

With the above exception, the invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrange ment of parts which will be exemplified in the construction hereinafter described, and of which the scope of application will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is shown one of the various possible illustrative embodiments of this invention,

Fig. 1 is an elevational cross-sectional view of the tap socket embodying the invention with a lamp secured in place therein.

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the socket.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the socket body.

Fig. d is a bottom plan view of the socket body.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of the current carrying parts of the socket.

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 7 is an elevational view showing one lamp and socket of a line of lamps for out door decoration with an extension plug for insertion into the tap socket embodying the 5D invention to connect in parallel with a line of lamps or more lamps or other decorative or illuminating devices.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 10 designates an electrical tap socket embodying the invention with a lamp 11 shown attached thereto. Said socket 10 is adapted to be interposed in a line of depending lamps such as shown in our co-pending application aforementioned. Another line of such lamps, one '59 of which is shown in Fig. 7 designated by reference numeral 12 may be plugged into said first mentioned line of-lamps to form a parallel extension thereof. To this end said line of lamps 12 terminates in an ordinary e5 attachment plug 13 adapted to be attached to socket 10 for tapping current therefrom.

The socket 10 comprises a housing 1 1 for a screw threaded shell 15 adapted to receive the base 15a of the lamp 11 for connecting said lamp in parallel across conductors 16, 17, connected to a suitable electric power circuit.

The housing 1% is preferably made of mold ed insulating material such as porcelain or pheno-condensate products, and is formed with a cylindrical body portion 18 having an upper solid contracted portion 19. The lowor open end of portion 18 is formed with an outwardly flaring flange 21. Spaced, longitudinal, parallel, rib-like, hollow projections 22 may be formed on portion 18 to provide channel like spaces 23 on the interior of the housing for receiving the conductors 16, 17, between said housing and shell 15.

The upper portion 19 of the housing 14 is formed with spaced parallel openings 24, 24a, for receiving the plug blades 25 of the attachment plug 13.

The upper portion 15b of the shell 15 is formed with an inwardly extending annular flange 26. Insulating disks 27, 27a, are secured to both sides of said fiange 26. A spring contact member 28 having a bent arm 29 extends within said opening 24. Said contact member 28 is formed with a portion 30 bent substantially parallel to insulating disk 27 and terminates in a portion 31 extending through and secured to said insulating disks 27, 27a. Said portion 31 carries a central contact 32 for making contact with the central contact of the lamp base 15a, in the manner well known in the art. A second spring contact member 33 having a bent arm 34 extends within the opening 24a in said upper portion 19 of the housing. Said member 33 is formed with a depending portion 35 secured to the upper portion 15?) of the shell 15. The conductor 16 may be secured to the portion 30 of the spring contact member 28 .by soldering or in any other suitable manner. The conductors 17 may be soldered or in any other suitable manner secured to the portion 35 of the contact member 33. The upper portion 19 of the housing 1% is formed with shoulders 33, 37, in openings 2a, 2402, abutting the upper bent portions of the spring contact members 28, 33 respectively.

It is now apparent that the lamp 11 when secured in the socket 10 is connected in parallel across the electrical power circuit, and that the attachment plug 13 when inserted in the openings 24-, 24a, connects the line of lamps 12 in parallel across said power circuit.

The opening in the top of the cap or at tachment plug 13 may be filled with suitable material such as wax to seal the space between the lead wires the walls of said opening, and a waterproof washer 38 such as described in my co-pending application aforementioned may be interposed between the socket 10 and the bulb 11 to make the device as a whole positively waterproof and adapted practically for outdoor use. i

It will be noted that the conductors 16, 17 enter the socket 10 through the mouth thereof, thus leaving the top portion of the socket free for housing the contacts 28, and receiving the plug cap 13, and a dominant feature of the invention resides in the arrangement of parts and construction of the herein disclosed tap socket 10 whereby it may be made positively waterproof and yet receive the lamp in one end, and the contact plug for corinecting in a parallel extension at the other enc.

It will thus be seen that there is provided a device in which the several objects of this invention are achieved, and of which is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawing is to be interpreted as illustra tive and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A tap socket comprising a molded insulating housing open at one end, a socket shell within said housing for receiving a lamp base in said open end, a plurality of the conductors connected to said shell in parallel circuit extending into said body through said open end, said housing having plug contact receiving slots in the opposite end portion thereof, and spring contact members secured to said shell and extending into said slots.

2. In combination with a tap socket comprising a molded insulating housing having an open end portion and a shell within said 7 housing for receiving a lamp base in said open end, means for connecting said shell to an electric power supply, said means extending into said housing at said open end portion, a pair of conductors connected to an electrical fitting, and means for connecting said conductors to said shell in parallel circuit across said power supply thru another end portio of said housing.

' 3. In a structure of the character described, the combination with an insulating body, having an open end and a socket shell within said body, of a plurality of conductor wires connected to said shell extending into said body at said open end, and means for connecting other conductors in parallel circuit to said shell at the opposite end portionof said housing.

4. In structure of the character described, the combination with an insulating body comprising a cylindrical housing having an out wardly flaring open end portion and a socket shell within said housing for receiving a lamp base in said open end portion, of a plurality of conductor wires connected to said shell extending into said body thru said open end, and means electrically connected to said shell and extending thru said opposite end of the insulating body for connecting other conductor wires in parallel circuit to said first mentioned conductor wires.

5. In combination, a molded insulating body comprising a cylindrical housinghaving an open end portion, a socket shell secured 7 tending into said body at said open end portion, means for connecting other conductors in parallel circuit to said shell at another portion of said body, said means comprising a pair of contact members connected to said shell and adapted to receive a quickly, detachable complementary fitting.

In testimony whereof we aifix our signatures,

REUBEN EOKSTEIN. MAX POLIS. 

